Abrading machine



Apr. 3, 1923. 1,450,251

A. E. CULLEY ABRADING MACHINE Filed Sept. 25, 1922 a sheets-sheet 1 Fig.1.-

INVENTOK: Amer-:0 E. CuLLa Apr. 3, 1923.

A. E. CULLEY ABRADING MACHINE 1922 8 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Sept INVENTOR- ALFRED E CULLEY Apr. 3, 1923.

A. E. CULLEY 'ABRADING MACHINE Filed Sept. 25, 1922' 8 sheets-sheet 4' ALFRED Y his Apr. 3, 1923. 1,450,251

A. E. CULLEY ABRADING MACHINE Filed Sept. '25, 1922 Sheets-sheetqfi INVE/vwe: ALFQED E CULLEY Apr. 3, 1923. A. E. CULLEY ABRADING MACHD IE Filed Sept. 25, 1922 8 sheets-sheet 7 Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

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A ABRAZDING MACHINE.

Application filed September 25, 1922. Serial No. 590,493. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED EDWIN CUL- Lnr, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and. residing in Burton-upon-Trent, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to an Abrading Machine (for which I have filed an application June 1, 1921, No. 15,168, in Great Britain), of which the following is a-specification.

This invention relates to an abrading machine specially applicable for removing the pericarp from the nuts of palm fruit, olives and the like, and has reference more particularly to the type of depericarping machine described in the specification to British Letters Patent No. 12,655 of 1915.

The construction of depericarping machine described in the said. prior specification, while giving fairly good results in practice, requires somewhat close attention in order to prevent the machine from choking up and "to prevent cracking of the kernels during working; present invention is to improve the action of such depericarping machines, and to reduce the power required to drive them.

According to the present invention I so arrange the cylindrical abrading surface of the drum and the parts of the propelling springs which protrude therethrough, that the latter are disposedin a' helical curve or curves around the said surface. A convenient arrangement by which this can be accomplished comprises an abrading cylinder or drum built up of discs with cylindrical peripheral surfaces of stabbed metal or the like, so arranged that a gap is formed between successive convolutions, through which gaps the ends of the propelling springs protrude, the said cylindrical strips,

gaps and springs'being preferably arranged helically. The helical portions of the springs are carried on studs, the anchored ends of the spring fitting in slots which permit the protruding ends of the springs to recede when they are brushed, in the direction of rotation by a rotating brush. The rotating brush is adjustable in respect to position and may be adjustable in respect to speed of rotation.

The material tobe dealt with is mechanically fed from the hopper to the abrading drum by a reciprocating feed device the speed of reciprocation of which is adjustable relatively'to the speed of rotation of the said drum.-

and the object of the The invention as applied to a portable depericarping machine is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in section on part side elevation correspond ing wlth Fig. 4. I

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the preferred form of disc employed in building up the abrading drum.

Figs. 7 and 8 are views, to an enlarged scale, of the preferred form of stud to carry the spring and to act'as distancepieces.

Fig. 9 is a face view of one of the discs,

and Fig. 95 is a detail view. Fig. 10 1s a side vlew ofsome of the assembled discs, the discsfo'n the right being in section and those on the left being partly in outside view. I

Fig. 11 is a plan view to a smaller scale of the abrading drum.

A is the main frame, which in the example illustrated, is constructed in tubular form so as to ensure lightness for portability: the legs a are pointed and provided with collars a so that the machine can be supported rigidly from the ground; these legs are detachable and the frame is preferably provided with road-wheels a the axle of for o J 7 which is carried by springs (E.

B is the abrading drum. carried by a} driving shaft 6 supported in'bearings 6 carried by the frame members a the shaft 6 is driven byany suitable means say byfast and loose pulleys b and b, seeFig. l1.

i C are the propelling springs and D -th e studs forthese springs, see Figs. 6.to 10..

is the brush, the spindle of which is journalled in the adjustable levers 6 F is the feed hopper. and Grv and G are:

the two reciprocating feed devices.

7L 72 and 71. are the longitudinal parti: tlons forming the ,two longitudinal feed channels into which the fruit to be deper'icarped is delivered from the feed hopper.

In the preferred form the abrading drum is constructed as follows A series of have inturned peripheral flanges b to which cylindrical strips b of metal stabbed so as to form a series of teeth Z) are attached by brazing or the like; the discs are adapted to be threaded on the driving shaft 6 Each disc has a radial cut 79 extending from the bore through the periphery, and the disc is so shaped by axial displacement of the rim and by the attachment of the separated edges by the angle pieces 7), (see Fig. 6) that each rim practically forms one convolution of a helix the pitch of which is slightly greater than the width of the strip; when the discs are assembled side by side (see Figs. 10 and 11), and the end of the one convolution is attached to the beginning of the next (as shown at the junction of the dotted and full lines Fig. 6) a continuous helical strip of stabbed metal is formed with a helical gap 6 between adjacent strips, through which gap the ends 0 of the helical springs C protrude.

At each end of the drum there is an end plate b which may be keyed to the shaft, and the end strip Z9 attached thereto is of such width and shape as is necessary to complete the cylindrical end of the drum.

The helical parts of the springs C are journalled on studs D equally spaced round the web of the disc; these studs act as distance pieces between the successive discs (see Figs. 7 and 10) and in order to produce a stepped arrangement of studs, discs and springs, successive discs are slightly angularly displaced by providing each stud with a spigot d at one end and a socket Z at the other end, the axes of the spigot and socket being slightly eccentric and the studs being fixed in place so that these two axes are equi-distant from the centre of rotation.

Equally spaced holes 6 are provided in the discs which are drilled to a jig; the studs are located in the holes by collars (Z and as the eccentric sockets of the studs in one disc fit the spigots of the studs in the adjacent disc, the necessary angular displacement is obtained automatically. The discs are drawn together either by bolts passing through holes Z2, or by compression nuts I) (see Fig. 2) screwing on to the screw-threaded endof the. shaft 6 a suitablethrust collar being provided at the other end of the shaft. If desired the bores of the individual discs may have key-ways fitting a key or feather on the shaft but this is not usually necessary as the arrangement of the distance pieces D and the compression nuts 6 provides a solid and strong structureadapted to transmit the necessary torque.

As stated, the ends a of the springs C protrude throughthe gaps b and they are shaped so as to give the propelling action described in our prior. specification; thes n s ielsl stpa ef heb s H7 and H2 but the flexure instead of being localized, as in the arrangement of our said specification, is distributed over the whole of the helical part of the spring. The ends 0 of the springs are bent and anchored in slots 6 formed by shearing three sides of a rectangle and bending the sheared part to form a tongue 6 against which the spring bears thus determining the spring resistance to movement of the ends 0 in a rearward direction; the slot 6 however, permits a limited free movement of the spring ends 0 in the opposite direction, which is desirable when these ends pass the cleaning brush to be described.

The cleaning brush is a rotary brush E mounted on a spindle e the opposite ends of which are journalled in levers e keyed on the opposite ends of a shaft e mounted in bearings 6 carried by the frame members a". A stud J is fixed to the frame member (6 (see Figs. 3 and 5) and on it runs freely a pinion a driven by the spur wheel 6 keyed on the drum shaft 6 the inion e (or a pinion laterally attached to it) gears with a pinion a (see Fig. 4:) running freely on the shaft 6 and the pinion 6 gears with a pinion e keyed to the brush spindle; this arrangement permits the movement of the brush E, about the axis of the shaft 6 necessary to adjust the brush position in rela tion to the drum B; the shaft 0 is moved angularly to give this adjustment by means of the rotatable adjusting rod 6 the screwed lower end of which screws into a swivel nut 0 on the end of the lever e keyed to the shaft 6 Axial movement of the adjusting rod 6 in the direction of thrust is prevented by the collar 6 which engages a fixed bracket 6 The gears are so arranged to give a peripheral speed of the brush greater than that of the abrading drum and a rotation of the brush in a direction of opposite hand to that of the drum, the parts of the brush in contact with the drum therefore move in the same direction as, but at a higher speed than the surface of the drum, with the result that the teeth are cleaned by a brushing action in the direction in which the teeth point and the material is removed withouttendency to become clogged under the teeth.

A brush arranged in the manner described and used in combination with the propelling springs constructed as described has the further advantage that the protruding parts of the propelling springs can move freely forwardly as the brush engages them. By changing the gears 6 and '0 various speeds of brush rotation relatively to the drum rotation may be obtained.

The reciprocating feed device consists of two hollow reciprocating feed plates G and G (see particularly Figs. 4 and 5) sliding. on a shelf f just below the feed hopper. and;

adapted to push, through, the opening f leading to the feed channels, material supplied to the hopper.

The two feed plates or slides G and G are respectively connected by rods g to end levers 9 the levers g are respectively keyed to the sleeves g, which sleeves are rotatably mounted on a shaft 9 carried from the frame members a; each of the sleeves g has keyed to it a slotted lever 9 and with the respective slots of these levers engage the pins each carried on a crank g keyed. on a shaft 9 journalled in bearings formed in and near the centres of the side levers g the upper ends of which latter are freely pivoted on the sleeves g on the, shaft the lower ends of the levers g are connected by the stay bar g". Angular movement, about the shaft g can be imparted to the levers g and the shaft g by means of the curved lever pivoted to the frame work at g and actuated by the tightening screw screwing in the frame work and rotated b a hand-wheel 9 A roller is feathered on the shaft 9 and it is driven by frictional contact (adjusted by the tighteningscrew g) with a disc 9 attached to a spur wheel which with the disc g runs freely on the end of the drum shaft 6 The wheel 9 gears with a pinion g attached to a wheel 9 which with the pinion 9 runs freely on the stud J. The wheel is driven by a pinion 5/ keyed to the end of the drum shaft b and the spur gearing g, g, g and 9 drive the disc at a speed substantially less than that of the drum The speed of the roller and the speed of reciprocation of the two feed slides G and G in relation to the speed of rotation of the drum B can be regulated by moving the roller 93 axially along the shaft 9 this is accomplished by forming a groove 9 on the boss of the roller with which groove engage pins 9 on the forked piece 9 car ried by the end of the lever g pivoted to frame at g 23 and adapted to be angled about its pivot by means of the screwed rotatable rod 9, axially fixed by the bracket 9 turned by the hand wheel'g and screwing into a nut 9 pivoted to the lever 9 W'here two feed slides are fitted they may be arranged, as shown, to take their feeding strokes alternatively or, of course the two slides G and G may be made as a single slide, in which cases the sleeves g may be dispensed with, the levers g and 9 being in this case keyed to the shaft 9 The channels into which the reciprocating slide delivers the fruit and along which the fruit travels longitudinally, are constructed as follows A space above the cylinder, the bottom of which is bounded by, say, the upper third of the circumference. of the cylinder, is enclosed by side walls 71 and it (see Fig. 3), and by covers 71 pivoted at if; the lower end of the wall 72, towards. which the surface of the drum is approaching, is maintained some distance clear of the said surface, but the lower portion of the wall If is fitted with a bar H the edge of which is just grazed by the teeth of the drum surface; the space so enclosed may be formed into two longitudinal channels by means of a bar H similar to H and a wall 72 extending to the cover it.

The action of the machine on the fruit is similar to that described in my prior specification aforesaid, except that instead of a number of channels formed by bars F, F F and F in my prior specification, two channels only are formed; although, of course, where it is desired, further subdivision intoa greater number of channels may be made.

It will be seen that with two channels and two feed slides the working strokes of which are made in succession, the material is delivered alternately in succession into the two channels.

The gear on the front of the machine is suitably enclosed in an enclosure (L Pin-joints a are introduced into the side I about the other pins so as to give access for inspection of the interior parts.

- It will be seen that by arranging the protruding portions a of the propelling springs so that they are helically disposed around the circumference of the abrading surface, each has a separate plane of rotation about the axis of the drum, and that these planes are comparatively close together, the, propelling action isaccordingly very effective, and as each pin strikes separate parts of the bars H and H as the drum rotates these bars are effectually cleaned from end to end. a

The amount of free movement of the anchored end 0 of the propelling springs is adjusted in accordance with the nature of the fruit to be dealt with, and the tongue-piece 5 (see Fig. 94) is utilized for the purpose of making this adjustment. When the tongue-piece b" is normal to the web of thefree movement of 0 is reduced to that from the chain-dotted line dotted line position.

It will be seen from the relative direction position to the ordinary of rotation of the brush E and the drum 1) (see Fig. 4*) that not onlydoes the brush effectually clean the teeth Z2 of the abrading surface (which are shown of exaggerated length in this view) but also'that the brush when it engages the ends 0 of the springs tends to turn these springs'from the position shown in Fig. 9 in full lines to the position shown in chain-dotted lines, and it is found that not only does the brush clean the teeth b and springs 0 but also that the latter loosen any material adhering to the brush so that it is thrown off by centrifugal force.

The details of construction may of course be varied considerably from that shown; the methodof supporting on discs helical strips of abrading surface separated by a helical gap is a very convenient one for ensuring the helical disposition of the springs around the abrading surface, but obviously other constructions may be adopted to give this result, and, of course, means other than a disc and roller mechanism may be utilized for varying the speed of reciprocation of the feed device.

Ihave described my i vention as applied, by way of example, to a machine for depericarping palm fruit; obviously, however, it can be adapted, with modifications such as may be made by those skilled in the art, for removing from nuts, kernels and the like, the outer portion which requires to be separated, by the abrading action of the drum.

Having now fully described my invention, I declare that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an abrading machine, in combination;an abrading drum having a toothed cylindrical surface; means for rotating the drum; a fixed feed channel adapted to guide the material to be abraded in an axial direc tion along the drum; and a series of spiral springs the coiled parts of which are carried by, and Within the interior of the drum, said coiled parts having ends which protrude through openings inthe surface of the drum, said openings being helically arranged round the surface of the drum, so that as the drum rotates the several ends cross the feed channel at different and uniformly spaced points in its length.

2. In an abrading machine ;in combination; the fixed feed channels; an abrading drum the surface of which is formed of a metal strip provided with abrading teeth and disposed as to form a helix of cylindrical configuration the pitch of which is greater than the width of the strip as to leave between adjacent convolutions a helical gap; means for rotating the drum; and a series of propelling springs carried by the drum the trailing ends of which springs protrude through the said gap.

3. In an abrading achiae'; "i1i combination with the fixed feed channels, an abrading drum built up of a series of discs threaded on a drum shaft, each disc carrying a peripheral strip provided with abrading teeth and disposed so as to form a single convolution of a cylindrical helix, the discs being mounted on the shaft in such angular relationship that the several convolu'tions form a single helix with a helical gap between the convolutions; means for rotating the drum; and a series of springs carried by the drum and the trailing ends of which protrude through the said helical gap.

4. In an abrading machine ;in co1nbination with the fixed feed channels, an abrading drum built up of a shaft on which is mounted aseries of discs each having a flanged cylindrical periphery provided with abrading teeth, and each disc having a radial slit extending from the here to the periphery, and having the cut portions of the periphery displaced axially by an amount which at the periphery is greater than the width of the strip, said discs being assembled on the drum shaft in such angular relationship that the abrading peripheries form a cylindrical helix with a gap between successive convolutions, means for rotating the drum; and a'series of springs carried by the drum the trailing ends of which springs protrude through the said gap.

5. In an abrading machine, in combination;the fixed feed channels an abrading drum built up of discs having peripheral abrading surfaces; studs carried by the discs; slots formed in the discs; and a series of springs each formed of wire the central part of which is coiled in a cylindrical helix adapted to loosely fit the studs, said wire at one end of the helix protruding when the latter is located on its stud through the abrading surface of the drum and at the other end of the helix being bent, and the bent part being located in one of the said slots to permit limited angular movement of each spring as a whole about its stud.

6. In an abrading machine, in combination; the fixed feed channels; an abrading drumbuilt up of discs having peripheral abrading surfaces disposed so as to form a cylindrical helix with a gap between its convolutions; studs carried by the discs; slots formed in the discs; and a series of springs formed of wire bent to the form of a cylindrical helix adapted to loosely fit the studs, said wire at one end of the helix protruding through the abrading surface of the drum and at theother endof the helix being bent, andthe bent part being located in one of the said slots; and tongue-piecesatthe edges of the slot-sin the discs, adapted to be bent at various angles tothe plane of the disc to adj List the amount of free movement of the d e el clnttlie pr a.a.,

In an abra'dingmachine, in combine tion;the fixed feed channels; an abrading drum built up of discs having helical peripheral abrading surfaces and being angularly disposed on the drum shaft so as to form a cylindrical helix with a gap between its convolutions; slots formed-in the discs; a series of springs each formed of a wire the central part of which is bent to form a cylindrical helix adapted to loosely fit spring supporting studs, said wire at one end of the helix protruding through the abrading surface of the drum and at the other end of the helix being bent, and the bent part being located in the said slots in the discs; and

= spring supporting studs the axial length of which is such that they form distance pieces to locate the successive discs in proper axial position on the shaft of the drum.

8. In an abrading machine, in combination;the fixed feed channels; an abrading drum built up of discs having helical peripheral abrading surfaces and being angularly disposed on the drum shaft so as to form a cylindrical helix with a gap between its convolutions; slots formed in the discs; a series of springs each formed of a wire the central part of which is bent to a cylindrical helix adapted to loosely fit spring supporting studs, said wire at one end of the helix protruding through the abrading surface of the drum and at the other end of the helix being bent, and the bent part being located in the said slots in the discs; spring supporting studs the axial length of which is such that they form distance pieces to locate the discs axially; and eccentrically disposed aligning means at opposite ends of each stud, adjacent pairs of which means engage and locate the successive studs so that their axes are angularly displaced relatively to the centre of the drum.

9. In an abrading machine, in combination;the fixed feed channels; an abrading drum built up of discs having peripheral abrading surfaces and being angularly disposed on the drum shaft so as to form a cylindrical helix with a gap betwen its convolutions; slots formed in the discs; and a series of springs formed of Wire bent to the form of a cylindrical helix adapted to loosely fit spring supporting studs, said wire at one end of the helix protruding through the abrading surface of the drum and at the other end of the helix being bent, and the bent part being located in said slots in the discs; spring supporting studs the axial length of which is such that they form distance pieces to locate the discs axially, a

spigot at one .end of each stud and an eccentrically disposed socket at the other end of each stud so that the studs the ends of which are in contact and the discs to which they are attached, are relatively angularly displaced in relation to the centre of the drum.

10. The device of claim 1 and including a cleaning brush, the brush periphery of which engages with the periphery of the abrading cylinder, and means for rotating the brush in a direction which is of opposite hand to that of the abrading drum.

11. The device of claim 1 and including a feed-hopper and a reciprocating feed device adapted to propel the material delivered to the hopper into the fixed feed channels.

12. The device of claim 1 and including a feed-hopper and, two reciprocating feed devices adapted to make their working strokes alternately and mechanically to propel material delivered to the feed-hopper into different feed channels.

13. The device of claim 1 including a feed hopper, a reciprocating feed device adapted to propel the material delivered to the hopper into the fixed feed channels, adisc geared to the abrading cylinder, a roller en gaging edgewise with the said disc, which can bemoved radially along the disc, and means whereby the rotation of the said roller operates the feed device.

14. In an abrading machine, and in combination with the abrading cylinder, propelling springs; feed channels consisting of bars arranged above and parallel with the axis of the abrading cylinder, said bars having upwardly extending walls closed by a cover plate; a feed-hopper delivering the material supplied to it on to a horizontal platform; and reciprocating feed plates adapted to push the material off the said platform into the said feed channels.

15. In an abrading machine ;in combination, an abrading cylinder, helically disposed propelling springs, fixed feed channels, feed means, a rotary cleaning brush, a driving shaft, gearing from the driving shaft adapted to rotate the abrading cylinder and the brush, and to reciprocate the feeding means, and a framework to carry the said parts and gearings.

In witness whereof I set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

' ALFRED EDWIN CULLEY.

IVitnesses:

, J. E. LLOYD BARNES,

JOSEPH E. HIRSH. 

